Overview
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a virtual cabinet meeting from Baku that cleared the draft, and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar then introduced the bill in the Senate for referral to the Law and Justice Committee and a joint parliamentary panel.
- The draft would establish a Federal Constitutional Court with equal provincial representation and shift key constitutional jurisdictions from the Supreme Court, including curbing suo motu powers under Article 184.
- The proposal revises judicial appointments and transfers by expanding roles for the prime minister and president in appointments and moving transfer authority to the Judicial Commission with input from relevant chief justices.
- On defence, the bill replaces the Chairman Joint Chiefs with a Chief/Commander of Defence Forces linked to the Army Chief and protects ceremonial military honors such as Field Marshal as lifetime titles under the Constitution.
- The PPP backs changes to Article 243 and the principle of a Constitutional Court but rejects clauses seen to weaken provincial autonomy or NFC safeguards, while opposition parties and lawyers warn the package could undercut judicial independence.